This Is What Parenting Will Look Like in 2018, According to Pinterest

If there is one thing that dictates how I am going to live my life, from what I wear to what I eat (or wish I was eating, at least) to the fun crafts and activities I plan for my kids, it’s definitely Pinterest.

No one has a mom’s heart more than Pinterest and thanks to the virtual bulletin board of life inspiration, we’ve all had our lives enriched in ways we probably don’t even realize. And not just because we pinned them and then forgot about them. Because the people at Pinterest are always on top of the latest trends, they just released their predictions for the top 100 trends for 2018, from food to style to — you guessed it — parenting. The list includes plenty of interesting ideas, but we are most interested in seeing the six trends below come true in our homes and lives:

1. Putting down the phone. For many millennial parents, our phones are virtual lifesavers, connecting us to other people online and helping us find answers and communities in an entirely new world of parenting. But now? We’re getting sick of being glued to a screen 24/7 and we’re looking for new ways to put down the phone and be in the present.

2. Fort fun. Everyone remembers the joy of childhood forts, right? Well, parenting in 2018 is all about recapturing the joys of childhood and bringing them to life in a new ways. There was an 108 percent increase in pins for forts as furniture. (Honestly, I’m not sure who’d enjoy this more — me or my kids.)

3. Bye-bye plastic. Searches for wooden toys are on the rise, up by +173 percent, according to Pinterest’s report, which signals that parents are on the hunt for more eco-friendly options for their kids. Less plastic junk in the house equals a happier mom.

4. Hacks to help you relax. The next generation of parents is getting smart. Unlike some of us, who registered for useless products and hoped for the best come baby time (me), 2018 parents are wising up and doing some serious prep. From perfecting easy slow cooker meals to checking off pre-baby bucket lists, next year’s parents are all about preparation before baby — so they can relax and soak up those newborn snuggles when their baby does arrive. Genius.

5. Baby showers, reimagined. Forget the cheesy baby showers with games like “Sniff-the-fake-baby-poop.” Today’s parents favor much more laid-back ways of celebrating a new arrival, such as the casual “sip and see" — hosted after baby joins the family — or “sprinkle showers — which are low-key gatherings for second- or third-time moms who want to celebrate their new babies but might not need tons of gifts or baby products. (Hence, the name: it’s a sprinkle instead of a full-blown shower. Bonus points if it’s literally sprinkle-themed!) In other words, modern-day baby showers are simple, no-fuss celebrations that focus on all the different ways babies enter and enrich our lives.

6. Embracing self-care. Gone are the days when parenting meant sacrificing every single thing about your life. Today’s parents know that taking care of your kids starts with taking care of yourself, which is why searches for self-care have jumped by leaps and bounds on Pinterest. We all know that you can’t be an effective parent if your own mental, physical, and emotional health and well-being are suffering, but in years past, parents were pressured to just push through that. But now, it’s out with the old “crash-and-burn” method of living and in with the new “aware and participating in self-care.” And we couldn’t be more on board.

Overall, it looks like we're headed for healthier, happier, more relaxed lives — and that’s a trend that we hope sticks around for a very, very long time.

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Chaunie is a former labor and delivery nurse, a mom of four, and a blogger at Tiny Blue Lines. She thinks pregnancy is amazing, women are strong, and that moms have the best (and most exhausting) job in the world.